INS Viraat will be converted into a maritime museum

What’s the buzz?

Decommissioned in 2017, plans have been made to transform INS Viraat, the world’s oldest aircraft carrier, into a floating museum. That’s not all: there are also plans to include sailing, sky diving, scuba diving, maritime training, a cafe, audio-visual programmes, a virtual hall showcasing marine history, a luxury hotel, and even residential accommodation!

What should you know?

The decision to convert it into a museum, and to highlight its history, was approved by a state cabinet meeting presided over by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, at the beginning of November. The ambitious museum will be housed on a concrete foundation at the Golden Rocks on Nivati Beach in Sindhudurg district, around 535 km south of Mumbai, near the Goa border.

Trivia:INS Viraat is a Guinness record holder for being the longest-serving warship in the world. It was commissioned as the Britain`s Royal Navy`s HMS Hermes in 1959, then bought by India and commissioned into the Navy as `INS Viraat` in 1987. The 226.50 metres long, 28,700 tonnes (fully loaded) aircraft carrier served the Navy for almost three decades before being decommissioned.